May 20, 2006

How to Remove Hair Dye

Most women who choose to color their hair, do it at home. It’s not that difficult, and you get it done just the way you want. Unfortunately, you often do a little more than you want, and are left wondering how to remove hair dye from a variety of surfaces, including you!

The first tip, is that when dying your hair, apply a border of Vaseline around the edge of your scalp. Make it an area perhaps an inch wide or more. Yes, it feels a little greasy, but it will save you the work of trying to scrub off dye stains at the base of your neck where you can’t even see what you’re doing.

If you do have hair dye stains, there are commercial removers to be bought at hair salons (after all, they make mistakes too), but you can get the same results with your toothpaste. The make up of toothpaste means that it contains just enough abrasive to help remove the dye from your skin, without irritating it. Rub it in with your gloved fingers, or use an old toothbrush.

When the dye falls on clothing, get it off and into cold water, immediately. Soak until the stain is all or mostly removed. Wring out and place on a firm surface, then use an old toothbrush to work a dishwashing detergent into the stain. Rinse and launder as usual but air dry in case the stain is not completely gone. If there is some mark left, soaking it overnight in one of the OxyClean products may help.

Brenda H. Murphy

Visit LearnHowToRemove.com for a growing library of tips to remove those annoying messes in your life.

May 8, 2006

Hair Color Secrets – Which Color Is Right For You?

Hair color correction is a big money maker in salons nationwide. The reason: over-the-counter hair coloring products have given consumers the impression that hair color is easy and extremely affordable. One look at a professionally-colored model on a commercial or glossy magazine page, and many people clamor to the closest drug store to purchase a $5 box of color with the hopes of receiving a $50 salon look.

The results are often disastrous, and it can take hundreds of dollars to correct a hair color problem that could have been prevented with just a tiny bit of knowledge and planning.

The most common problem seen with hair coloring at home and in salons is choosing a hair color that is too light for the natural shade of hair. Realistically, color can only lighten hair beautifully by a few shades. If you go any lighter than a few shades, you need to choose a high-lift product such as bleach or a professional highlighting system. Failure to do this often results in hair color that is much too brassy or even orange.

Word to the wise: high-lift hair coloring should only be performed by professionals. The controlled chemicals used in the process, if used incorrectly, can result in irreparable damage and/or chemical burns on the scalp and skin.

Another hair color mistake that is seen quite often is choosing a color that is too dark. Extremely dark hair color can be the most challenging to correct because dark color can actually stain the cortex (inner layer) of the hair, making it almost impossible to lighten. Again, avoid choosing hair colors that are more than a few shades darker than your own to prevent a costly cortex stain.

When it comes to choosing the right shade of hair color to use, pick tones and shades that flatter your skin tone. Choose warm shade of hair color (reds and warm browns) if you look best in warm-colored clothing such as reds, pinks and oranges. Choose a cool shade (beige, pale blonde highlights and neutral colors) if you look best in blues and greens.

As you can see, just a little bid of planning and knowledge can save you from costly hair coloring disasters. And by making an informed decision before you purchase hair color, you will not only save money, you will also save your hair from needless damage.

Hair color is a chemical, and every time you chemically process your hair, you damage it to some extent. The damage can be minimal, as is usually the case with high-end professional hair coloring systems, or can be extreme. And each time you use hair color to correct a problem, you are damaging your hair even more.

Here are just a few tell-tale signs that your hair has been over processed with hair color and other chemicals.

  • The hair is limp and dull, and no amount of styling can bring back its luster and bounce.
  • The hair color has faded dramatically, and you are left with brassy and banded hair color. (Banded hair color is evident by the sudden change of hair color along the hair shaft. For example: the hair may be dark until about 2″ from the scalp where it turns a brassy orange.)
  • The hair is extremely dry and brittle. When it is wet, it is almost impossible to comb it without causing breakage.

You can avoid damage to your hair caused by hair coloring by taking the same precautions recommended for choosing the right hair color. Choosing the right hair color reduces the amount of color applications, therefore, reducing the chances of your hair becoming over processed.

Michael Barrows’ website gives great advice for good hair. Get your free ebook packed with hair style and hair care tips and advice, visit great-hairstyles.com.

April 15, 2006

Natural Beauty – Making Your Own Skin And Hair Treatments Is As Easy As 1-2-3

The quest for beautiful skin and hair is prevalent among women. You can make inexpensive, natural beauty and hair treatments from ingredients you have in your home that will perform just as well or better than products you purchase in the store.

If you only have one natural beauty remedy in your pantry, make it Olive Oil. It’s extremely versatile and can be used on every part of your body.

Olive oil is excellent for removing mascara. It’s much better than petroleum jelly or baby oil and is beneficial to the skin around your eyes.

Use a few drops of olive oil in warm water for a wonderful at-home manicure. Apply your favorite lotion afterwards to lock in the moisture.

Beeswax and olive oil melted and poured into a small tin makes wonderful lip balm that will keep your lips soft and smooth.

Dry feet can be healed after one night of this treatment. Before bed, rub olive oil into your dry, cracked feet. Do not rinse. Then, put a cozy pair of socks on and go to sleep. Your feet will drink in the moisture and feel much better by morning.

Add a few drops of olive oil to your bath water for the best skin softener you can imagine. And, if you’re feeling extra decadent, then add a few drops of essential oil for a natural aromatherapy bath.

A very small amount of olive oil applied to dry hair will condition and get rid of frizz. This is a great leave-in conditioner.

Olive oil can also work as a shaving cream for men with sensitive skin.

Don’t buy those expensive Sea Salt Scrubs. Make your own. Just add sea salt to olive oil and you’ve got a sea salt scrub that will feel like heaven. Add a drop of essential oils if you’d like your scrub scented.

Please use caution when using olive oil in your bathtub as it will get quite slippery and you don’t want to fall.

It is not necessary to pay a lot of money for beauty treatment products. The things you have in your very own kitchen can often be the best beauty products available.

Melissa B. Rayn loves to experiment with different homemade bath and body recipes. Her passion for creating beauty and spa recipes inspired her to share them with others at her website mybeautyrecipes.com.

April 9, 2006

Tourmaline Hair Straighteners

One of the great things about hair products is that they constantly evolve and the Sedu hair iron is a great example of a hair product benefiting from Tourmaline. In fact Tourmaline has been used for many years in water filters and it’s only been in recent years that the benefits of Tourmaline could be harnessed for the hair industry. This article was written to try and explain exactly what Tourmaline is and why it’s used on hair straighteners.

Firstly, Tourmaline is a precious stone, whose colors include blue, green, pink, red, yellow, brown, black, bi-colored, tri-colored, and colorless. Tourmaline may be found in Brazil, Russia, Burma, Afghanistan, Malagasy Republic, Maine, California.

According to Egyptian legend the beautiful colors are the result of the Tourmaline travelling along a rainbow from the centre of the Earth up towards the sun. And on its way up it collected all the colours of the rainbow. This is why nowadays it is also called the “Rainbow gemstone”.

The name “Tourmaline” is derived from the Singhalese expression “tura mali”, which translates as “stone of mixed colours.” Ooohhh, now I’m intrigued. The very name already refers to the unique spectrum of colours displayed by this gemstone and no Tourmaline stone resembles another one. Tourmaline shows many faces and is thus excellently suited to match all moods and tempers. It does not come as a surprise, then, that ever since ancient days it has been attributed with magical powers. Tourmaline is supposed to be an especially powerful influence on love and friendship, lending them permanence and stability. I think it’s about time I gave a Sedu Tourmaline hair straightener to my boyfriend!

Tourmaline has been used for sometime now in specialist water filters but only recently has it’s benefits been used in the hair industry.

Why is Tourmaline used on hair straighteners?

It’s all very well and good that Tourmaline is a beautiful gemstone but I’m sure I’ve never seen any sparkling gems on my Sedu tourmaline hair straightener so why is it used. I’m going to get a bit technical here: Tourmaline plates on your straightener generate negative ions and far infrared (FIR) rays. The FIR help to lock in moisture in your hair and also remove static which causes your hair to Frizz.

Due to the concentration of these negative ions hair-straightening time is cut in half and your hair is left feeling much softer and shinier.

Main benefits

  • Micro-porous technology (locks in moisture)
  • Ion field technology (seals in natural oils)
  • Tourmaline Negative ion technology (removes static)
  • Tourmaline Infrared heat for deep, long lasting straightness

It just goes to show that even precious stones have many more applications than sitting on your finger or around your neck. Although I think I still prefer a big diamond ring any day.

A self confessed hair straightener fan Andrea Simpson has a website, http://www.a1-hair-straighteners.com/review.shtml, devoted to hair straighteners covering such products as the Sedu, Solia & Global Beauty Hair Straighteners.

April 1, 2006

Home Hair Loss Remedies

Today’s article is all about hair loss and home remedies. While there are a LOT of products on the market today that claim to slow, stop, prevent or reverse hair loss, there are many other ways to attack hair loss that don’t include using strong chemicals or prescription drugs. Granted, some are effective and some are not, but the only way to know for sure (just like using Propecia) is to try them for yourself. I’m going to list a few possible ways to treat hair loss and let you make up your own mind on their effectiveness. Just to remind you all…I am not advocating any type of hair loss treatment, simply because every person is different and what might work for you might not work for someone else!

Okay, the first type of home remedy can be categorized as “herbal”. Many folks, including myself, have begun using certain herbs to combat all sorts of problems…anything from aging skin to a lack of energy to, you guessed it, hair loss. Here are some of the more popular herbs pertaining to hair loss…

Stinging nettle: Also known as Urtica Diocia, this herb has the ability to block the conversion of testosterone into DHT (DHT is often the cause of male hair loss). An optimum dose of 50-100mg per day in capsule form is recommended.

Ginkyo biloba: this herb is thought to improve blood circulation to the brain and skin. It is believed that the increased flow of blood to the brain area delivers more nutrients to the hair follicle thus promoting hair regrowth. A recommended dose is 120-160mg of dry extract each day spread over three doses.

He Shou Wu: Also known as Polygonum Multiflorum, this herb has traditionally been used to reduce hair loss and can be taken in capsule form or as a tea.

Pygeum Africanum: This herb is derived from the bark of the evergreen tree and it works like green tea. It is used to treat male pattern baldness. You should take 60-500mg per day in pill or capsule form.

Saw Palmetto: Also known as Seranoa Repens, this is a favorite choice for many men due to its ability to slow hair loss and encourage hair regrowth. Many commercially prepared hair loss treatments use this herb as a base but it can easily be found in its pure form. A dose of 160mg twice each day is recommended, but be sure the ingredients are made from the berry extract not the dried berries themselves.

The second type of home remedy for attacking hair loss are external preparations that are applied to the hair and scalp directly. Some of these may sound odd, but you never know until you try, right?

Safflower Oil: Also known as Carthamus Tinctorious, safflower oil applied to the scalp acts as a vasolidator that dilates blood vessels. This allows more blood to deliver nutrients to the hair follicle thus creating an environment conducive to hair regrowth.

Aloe Vera: You can rub Aloe Vera into your scalp each night. It’s believed that the herb activates the production of nitric oxide and contains an enzyme called superoxide dismutane. These two substances combined may stimulate hair regrowth in those suffering from male pattern baldness.

Red Pepper: Also know as Capiscum, you can apply Red Pepper to the scalp as a poultice. It irritates the scalp and stimulates blood flow to the base of the hair, which may encourage renewed hair growth.

Onion: Yes, onions. Some believe that rubbing the scalp with an onion before shampooing may actually stimulate hair growth…your mileage may vary!

There are many more home remedies that may aid in hair growth or regrowth. I will talk about these in future articles. Thanks for reading and take care!

Dave McCloskey is a long-time hair stylist who wants to share some of his knowledge with folks on the web. For more information on male hair loss: www.computtel.com/haircareblog.

March 20, 2006

Natural Beauty

The quest for beautiful skin and hair is prevalent among women. You can make inexpensive, natural beauty and hair treatments from ingredients you have in your home that will perform just as well or better than products you purchase in the store.

If you only have one natural beauty remedy in your pantry, make it Olive Oil. It’s extremely versatile and can be used on every part of your body.

Olive oil is excellent for removing mascara. It’s much better than petroleum jelly or baby oil and is beneficial to the skin around your eyes.

Use a few drops of olive oil in warm water for a wonderful at-home manicure. Apply your favorite lotion afterwards to lock in the moisture.

Beeswax and olive oil melted and poured into a small tin makes wonderful lip balm that will keep your lips soft and smooth.

Dry feet can be healed after one night of this treatment. Before bed, rub olive oil into your dry, cracked feet. Do not rinse. Then, put a cozy pair of socks on and go to sleep. Your feet will drink in the moisture and feel much better by morning.

Add a few drops of olive oil to your bath water for the best skin softener you can imagine. And, if you’re feeling extra decadent, then add a few drops of essential oil for a natural aromatherapy bath.

A very small amount of olive oil applied to dry hair will condition and get rid of frizz. This is a great leave-in conditioner.

Olive oil can also work as a shaving cream for men with sensitive skin.

Don’t buy those expensive Sea Salt Scrubs. Make your own. Just add sea salt to olive oil and you’ve got a sea salt scrub that will feel like heaven. Add a drop of essential oils if you’d like your scrub scented.

Please use caution when using olive oil in your bathtub as it will get quite slippery and you don’t want to fall.

It is not necessary to pay a lot of money for beauty treatment products. The things you have in your very own kitchen can often be the best beauty products available.

Melissa B. Rayn loves to experiment with different homemade bath and body recipes. Her passion for creating beauty and spa recipes inspired her to share them with others at her website mybeautyrecipes.com.

March 1, 2006

The Price Of Beauty: Hair Straightening Costs

With an onslaught of shampoo commercials on TV, featuring models with long, smooth and super straight tresses, it is no wonder that a big chunk of the women population want their hair to look impeccibly perfect. As a result, hair salons offering hair-straightening services continue to mushroom all over. Do-it-yourself hair treatments, hair ironing kits, and other various hair products are constantly being upgraded, with new and improved.

To say that there’s a great variety of hair-straightening methods and products to choose from is an understatement. Women find themselves in a dilemma on what would suit them, and bring out the best results. Among their major concerns is cost. When it comes to hair treatment, does price really matter? Will a more expensive process generate better results, or do cheaper ones suffice?

Factors to consider:

1. Hair Condition

Needless to say, more work translates to higher costs. The curlier the hair, the more expensive the salon treatment or hair product will be.

2. Treatment life span

One has to choose whether she wants her hair to be straight permanently or for a certain period only. While some women prefer to have hair a la Cher for their entire life, others love experimenting with various hairstyles – frizzy one day, super straight the next. A permanent treatment’s rate will of course be higher than a temporary one.

3. Maintenance

When one constantly takes good care of her hair, especially after undergoing a hair-straightening treatment, there will be less frequent salon visits necessary.

$$$$$: Chemically straightened treatment done by professionals in a salon

While there are hair straightening formulas readily available in the market, it is still recommended to leave the chemicals to the experts. The reason is simple: dealing with strong chemicals requires technical know-how of the entire hair straightening process. Also, professionals will be able to evaluate one’s hair condition to find out how strong the chemicals will be used, to avoid any damage.

$$$$: Hair ironing kit

While this hair tool is, of course, cheaper than a salon visit, it does not guarantee lasting results. Hair irons come in various types. Those using metal plates are usually the cheapest, but it is not recommended for regular use because its surface will cause hair damage in the long run. The ceramide hair iron is considered gentler and effective, but it comes with a higher price tag. Using ceramic plates, this kind of iron is smoother, which will result in better flattening of hair. It also has a better control in temperature, that will prevent burning and permanent hair damage. In buying a hair iron, make sure to test it before buying. Thoroughly read and follow the instructions included in the kit. When you regularly iron your hair, avoid using other chemical treatments, such as coloring dyes, because it might result in hair damage. It is also recommended to have a regular trim to prevent split ends from occurring.

$$$: Hair dryer

Amazingly, despite the emergence of newer hair straightening products, the good old hair dryer is still surviving, and in fact, still widely used. Perhaps among the cheapest of hair straightening products, the hair dryer still remains to be reliable in temporarily managing frizzy hair. Like the hair iron its results last only until the next wash. Before starting, make sure the hair is free of tangles by using a wide toothed comb. It should also be slightly moist. Use a large and round brush for better results. Setting lotion, gel or leave-on conditioner may also be applied after blowing the hair to eliminate frizz and achieve a smoother, silkier appearance.

For more great hair straight related articles and resources check out hairstraightener.haircarehaven.com.

February 19, 2006

The Guide To Straightening Hair

Want to be beautiful? It’s well known that beauty (on the outside, of course) begins with the hair! The hair straightening craze of late has caused a major rise in the sales of hair straightening products. What products are available? What methods can be put into use? How much do they cost? And most important of all: What will make for the most beautiful, shiny and shimmering straight hair?

There are three factors to consider when determining what straightening method would be appropriate for you and your hair. The first, of course, is the condition of your hair. Wavy hair would be easier and less expensive to straighten than curly hair, and so on. The next factor to consider is how long you want the treatment to last. Some straightening methods last months, but don’t allow for you to experiment with different hairstyles, however, they require less maintenance. Some women like to try different styles, while others would prefer not to. The final factor to consider is maintenance. Some methods require work every day, while others require little to no work.

The first and most expensive method is a salon treatment. Professionals use chemicals to almost permanently straighten your hair. Think of it as a sort of inverse perm! Rather than using a do-it-yourself kit, allow the professionals to do it. They can determine how strong of chemicals to use based on your hair condition, and will not damage your hair. This method requires the least day to day maintenance, but it is important to remember that it will be extremely difficult to experiment with different hair styles. Another important fact is that the better you take care of your hair, the longer the chemicals will keep your hair straight and beautiful.

The most popular method is a hair straightening iron. There are many different irons ranging in price and type. It is recommended to use a ceramic iron as they have better temperature control and is smother than a metal iron. The downfall of an iron is that the effects only last until the next washing of the hair. Also, be sure to avoid chemical treatments when using an iron to avoid hair damage and get regular trims to eliminate split ends.

However you slice it, you can straighten it!

Dana Goldberg is the owner of Beauty Supervisor. On her website you will find helpful advice on skin care, hair, nails, and beauty products. beautysupervisor.com.

February 11, 2006

Ingrown Pubic Hair – 6 Basic and Essential Tips You Need to Know

  1. Treatment ingrown pubic hair especially along bikini line, using a hot compress against ingrown spots at least 10 minutes thrice daily for the purpose of soften the skin and improve the hair purposely.
  2. To avoid friction, it is recommended loose-fitting underwear and clothing to be worn.
  3. It is a good practice to exfoliate the location prior waxing. During this process, certain quantity of top layer dead skin cells that has the effect of trapping the hairs will be removed. Exfoliating treatment not limited to lotions, creams or body gels, a soft-type of washcloth or glove is used for this exfoliation purpose. It can be purchased at the beauty service counter or salon at your city.
  4. It is not advisable to exfoliate the skin further to avoid skin irritation if there is a ingrown pubic hair.
  5. Whenever performing the waxing process, make sure the roots of hairs to be pulled out completely. It is a wrong practice to allow the hair to be broken below the skin surface.
  6. Utilize Ingrown Hair Treatment correctly, it is no only to prevent pubic ingrown hair but also to get rid of existing ingrown hair within days. The process is easy to use and easy to apply.

Recommendation: Use Ingrown Hair Treatment – click here for details.

Irene Chew, an editor to a woman magzine. She recommends Ingrown Hair Treatment as she has used and benefit from this product.

January 19, 2006

Japanese Hair Straightening – What You Need To Know

Over the last 4 years a new type of hair straightening has crept into the USA. Called Japanese hair straightening it also falls under other names including; Thermal Reconditioning, Magic Straight, Bio Ionic Straightening, Yuko System (named after the Japanese stylist who is meant to have popularised the treatment), Liscio, and Rebonding. The Liscio process is the original and the one you are most likely to see in salons.

As the name suggests it originated in Japan and the process will give you permanently straight hair as opposed to the temporary straight hair provided by in-home straighteners like the excellent Sedu flat iron. In reality it lasts about 6 months when your hair will need re-touching because of the hair growth.

This form of treatment is not recommended for:

  • more delicate African hair
  • hair that has been heavily treated or damaged
  • hair that is quickly thinning and falling out

The treatment is very expensive, $300-$800 in top salons and depending on which process you opt for can take between 4-6 hours to complete. This is a far cry from using your own hair straightener at home for a fraction of the cost and only taking a matter of minutes. Given the cost you should expect a free consultation on how well (or if) the treatment will work on your hair.

As the treatment is very expensive you should do your homework. Here are a few tips:

  • Visit the websites of salons close to you for more details about which Japanese hair straightening treatment they use.
  • Visit the salon and speak with their straightening specialist about the process
  • Make sure the specialist has sufficient experience in the process. Don’t forget you are paying lots of money so you don’t want to end up with damaged hair because of an inexperienced stylist.
  • Ask for some “before and after” pictures of previous customers results.
  • If possible ask to speak with a previous customer to get some detailed insight into how long it took and to find out if there are any things they didn’t like about the process.

If you do decide to go ahead with the treatment then here is a summary of the whole process.

  • A protein conditioner is applied to your hair.
  • A cream based thio relaxor is then applied. This will soften your hair and disassociate the sulfur bonds inside the hair shaft.
  • After a period of time the stylist will do a test to see if the hair has broken down to the right degree.
  • Once the proper amount of Sulfur bonds have been disassociated the stylist will rinse your hair.
  • Your hair is dried into the style you normally wear it in.
  • The stylist will take small sections and apply some degree of tension to get your hair as straight as possible.
  • Once the neutralizer has been on the hair for the proper amount of time it will be rinsed from the hair.
  • After the hair is rinsed it will be dried again and ironed into the style you wish to wear.
  • The neutralizing chemical only begins to re-associate the sulfur bonds. The hair still needs to absorb more oxygen and will do so naturally through the air.
  • The hair designer will instruct you not to shampoo, wet or style your hair for 24-72 hours, this is to allow it to completely neutralize into the current shape.

The results from the process are amazing, considering your hair is subjected to nearly 6 hours of chemical and heat treatment. You will probably be advised to use special after care products. You should take the stylists advice but make sure and shop round for the products online, as they can be very expensive in salons.

However, all the time and effort is worth it, as your hair will not need to be treated for at least 6 months. So twice a year should be enough for curl-free hair all year.

Andrea Simpson is a self confessed hair straightener fan. She runs her own website devoted to Sedu Flat Irons and other hair straightening devices and processes: a1-hair-straighteners.com.